Heath Herring vs. Cheick Kongo
The fight was the day before Heath Herring's thirtieth birthday. The Fight The first round began. Herring came out hard while Kongo stood still and Herring landed a big right to Kongo's nose and dropped Kongo. They clinched against the cage. Kongo landed some body shots. Kongo got the slam takedown into half-guard. Kongo got Herring's back. Herring grabbed a kimura armlock. Kongo fought out. They stood. Herring landed a few good combinations. Herring landed a high body kick and a leg kick. Kongo got the takedown into half-guard. Herring reversed but Kongo struggled to get up. Herring held Kongo down however in a semi-crouched position. They stood with Herring holding a headlock and looking for a guillotine. Kongo landed some knees to Herring's thighs. Kongo slammed Herring down into a sitting-up mount. Kongo landed some kidney punches from mount and then some strikes to the midsection. Kongo got Herring's back. Herring reversed and got Kongo's standing back. Kongo struggled to turn. Kongo turned Herring and got a headlock on him. Herring dragged Kongo down, they scrambled. Kongo got mount once more and then got Herring's back. Kongo gave up the back and stood and went into north-south position. Herring was cut under his left eye. Herring held Kongo's left arm with both hands, leaving his ribs exposed to Kongo's mercy. Kongo showed no mercy. The first round ended. The doctor's attended to Herring's cut. The second round began. Herring came out quickly and missed another big right. Kongo dragged him down, they scrambled. Kongo ended up on top in half-guard, landing some ground-and-pound to Herring. Herring's half-guard was loose but Kongo did not attempt to pass, landing punches to the side of Herring's head. Kongo landed an elbow. Kongo tried to stand and Herring landed a good upkick. The crowd roared. Kongo landed some thigh kicks. The referee stood Herring up and Herring immediately came in and they clinched against the cage. Herring landed some knees in the clinch. Kongo landed some knees. Kongo got the slam takedown into side control. Herring brought it to north-south position. Kongo got Herring's back and landed some ground-and-pound quickly. Herring rolled and reversed and got north-south position on Kongo, punishing Kongo's midsection brutally. Herring brought it to side control. Herring landed repeated knees to Kongo's midsection brutally. Kongo was hurt bad. The knees continued. Herring landed a knee to the shoulder. More knees to the midsection. The second round ended. The third round began. Herring came out and they both threw kicks at the same time. They both fell. Herring grabbed a guillotine, lost it, pulled guard, they scrambled, Kongo ended up on top and took Herring's back. Kongo landed some knees to Herring's shoulder and midsection. Kongo got a headlock. Herring rolled out and they stood. Kongo landed a body kick. Herring landed a left. They clinched. Herring shoved Kongo against the cage. Kongo landed a nice knee. Back to the north-south by Kongo and then Kongo took Herring's back. Kongo threw a knee to Herring's midsection but Herring bulled up and Kongo got back to the north-south. Herring rolled Kongo over and got on top in side control. Kongo struggled to push off the cage. Herring landed some elbows to the side of Kongo's head. Herring brought it to north-south. Herring went back to side control and landed a pair of knees to the midsection. Back to north-south. Kongo was breathing heavily. Kongo landed some body shots. Kongo tried to get up but Herring kept him down and landed an elbow and some ground-and-pound. The knees to the body of Kongo continued. Herring brought it to full mount and landed some shots to the side of Kongo's head and some body shots. Herring got Kongo's back, brought it back to full mount. The fight ended. 29-28 Herring, 29-28 Kongo, 29-28 for the winner by split decision Heath Herring.